How to Set Up a Call Queue in Microsoft Teams (Step-by-Step Guide for IT Admins)

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Call queues in Microsoft Teams play a vital role in ensuring smooth and efficient communication within organizations. Whether you're routing calls to your support desk, sales team, or general inquiries, a well-structured call queue helps reduce wait times, avoid missed calls, and streamline team collaboration.

This guide walks IT administrators through setting up a call queue in Microsoft Teams, from prerequisites to configuration, plus some best practices. We'll also touch on how to monitor call queue performance more effectively, an area where Variphy’s Microsoft Teams analytics can make a big difference.

What Is a Call Queue in Microsoft Teams?

A call queue allows incoming calls to be routed to a group of users (agents) in Microsoft Teams. While callers wait to be connected, they hear hold music or custom greetings. Calls can be distributed based on different routing methods, helping teams handle volume efficiently and professionally.

What You Need Before You Start

Before setting up a call queue, ensure you have the following:

Microsoft Teams Phone licensing for your tenant and any resource accounts that will receive PSTN calls (internal‑only queues can have different licensing requirements).
At least one resource account (used to assign service phone numbers and associate them with call queues).
Admin access to the Microsoft Teams admin center.
Optional: A configured Auto Attendant if calls will be routed from a central menu.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up a Call Queue

Sign into the Teams Admin Center.

Navigate to admin.teams.microsoft.com and ensure you're signed in with the appropriate privileges.

Go to Voice > Call Queues.

In the left navigation pane, expand Voice, then select Call Queues.

Click “Add” to create a new queue.

Give your call queue a descriptive name.

Assign a Resource Account.

Choose an existing resource account or create one. This is essential if you plan to assign a phone number to the queue.

Set Greeting and Music Options (optional).

Upload a greeting message or use the default. You can also choose or upload hold music.

Configure Call Distribution Method.

Choose from options like:

Attendant (all agents ring simultaneously).
Serial (calls routed one agent at a time).
Round Robin (even distribution across agents).
Longest idle (call routed to agent who has been in the Available presence state for the longest time without taking a call).

Add Agents.

You can add individual users or Teams/Groups (recommended for easier management).

Adjust Timeouts and Overflow Settings.

Define what happens when no one answers or if call wait times exceed your limit.

Save and Test.

Always test call flow before going live. Route a test call through the queue to verify hold music, agent ringing, and failover settings.

Best Practices for Managing Teams Call Queues

Use groups over individuals: Adding Teams or AAD groups makes managing agents easier and more scalable.
Combine with Auto Attendants: Route calls through a central menu to streamline entry points.
Label queues clearly: Make names intuitive to avoid confusion in the admin portal.
Keep greetings updated: Update announcements for holidays, hours of operation, or policy changes.

How to Monitor Call Queue Performance (and Why It Matters)

Once your queue is live, monitoring its performance is just as important as setup. Key metrics like call volume, average wait time, missed calls, and agent availability help you optimize routing and resource planning.

Microsoft Teams offers limited built-in reporting for call queues, which can make it difficult to see the full picture, especially over time or across multiple queues. For advanced call queue monitoring, Variphy’s analytics for Microsoft Teams give you:

Visual dashboards with real-time and historical queue performance.
Custom reports on agent activity, call outcomes, and trends.
Alerts and exports to keep stakeholders informed.

Setting up a call queue in Microsoft Teams is a critical step in providing responsive, reliable communication for your organization. With the right configuration — and the right tools to track performance — IT admins can ensure callers reach the right people quickly, every time.

Looking to make sense of your Teams call queue data? Explore Variphy for Microsoft Teams to see how detailed insights can improve your call management. Learn more.

Updated on

December 8, 2025

Published on

December 9, 2025

Call Queues Microsoft Teams Phone Call Analytics

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